Nine finals left for Man City in European qualification fight, Pep Guardiola says

LONDON – Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are in the unlikeliest of positions having to battle desperately for a Champions League spot next season, but the manager is confident about the “nine finals” ahead.

City dropped points in a 2-2 Premier League home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on March 15, to leave the champions in fifth place with nine games to go.

“Until the end, I think so,” Guardiola told reporters.

“Nine games, nine finals. I’m always confident. I am a master. I find the positiveness in everything. I know it will be difficult, everybody feels the pressure. But it is what it is. We have to play better and after this we will be back.”

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush struck for City either side of a Pervis Estupinan goal for Brighton, before defender Abdukodir Khusanov’s own goal meant the teams had to settle for a point apiece, the visitors’ first at the Etihad.

“It is a fact we won the first point here but more a disappointing feeling we didn’t go home with three points,” said Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler.

Haaland made history by achieving 100 Premier League goal involvements quicker than anyone before, in 94 games, six fewer than former Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer.

“Not bad,” Guardiola simply added.

The afternoon featured an unwanted record for the manager, however, as Khusanov’s blunder was the 40th goal conceded in the league this season, the most by any City team managed by Guardiola in a single campaign.

“We started the second half 2-1 up and had a good chance,” the City boss said.

“In the corner we were sloppy and they equalised then we were unstable. That is normal.

“We came back in the game and had really good moments. They had one clear chance then but we were there and we pushed until the end. We’ll take the point.”

As City struggled, Nottingham Forest maintained their Champions League push with a 4-2 win at Ipswich Town.

Anthony Elanga struck twice for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, who consolidated third place in the table on 54 points, six points clear of City.

Forest, who were involved in relegation battles in the last two seasons, struck three times in a frantic seven-minute spell in the first half, kicked off by a fierce strike from defender Nikola Milenkovic.

Elanga netted a curling effort two minutes later, and immediately doubled his tally when he latched onto a long ball from Milenkovic and squeezed his shot under goalkeeper Alex Palmer.

“We got this moment right,” Nuno said of the impressive start.

“We got Ipswich unbalanced and we took advantage of it.”

Jens Cajuste pulled one back in the 82nd minute to briefly give home fans hope but Jota Silva quickly crushed it with another Forest goal, before George Hirst claimed a consolation for Ipswich in added time.

“Ipswich were always going to react, important that we got the fourth goal, that really put the game to bed in that moment,” Nuno added. REUTERS, AFP